Congratulations to Brenda Kolbow, LLS on becoming a Licensed Land Surveyor in the state of New Hampshire! Brenda is a Survey Project Manager and has been with the Portsmouth division of TFMoran, since 2015. She is responsible for the management and coordination of survey projects with internal staff, clients, contractors, and regulatory officials from proposal through the completion of construction. Her field skills include boundary, topographic, ALTA, construction layout and as-built surveys, along with total station data collection and GPS static and kinetic observations. Brenda is now licensed in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. Prior to her time at TFMoran, she received an Associates degree for Surveying Technology at Western Piedmont Community College in North Carolina.
Archive
CPR Training at TFMoran
Members of the Bedford TFMoran team participated in a CPR certification course on November 14, 2018. Participants met in the first-floor conference room, where the training was held. Many of the attendees had been certified in the past and were taking the course as a refresher course. The course covered CPR trainings for all ages including adults, children, and infants. The certification class was taught by Robert Martin, who works with Exeter Hospital. The class was broken into two parts. Participants watched informational videos during the first portion of the class, and during the second part were able to practice the techniques on training mannequins. The informational videos, provided by the American Heart Association, explained how to determine if a person needs CPR, the number of breaths and compressions necessary to properly perform CPR, how to properly perform these compressions and breaths, and how to use an AED, or Automated External Defibrillator. The Bedford office installed an AED in May through a New Hampshire Department of Safety program, which offers a discount and training for participants. There was also a portion of the training dedicated to helping someone who is choking and properly performing the Heimlich maneuver. Of course, we hope that all in attendance never need to use the techniques learned today, but we are glad that our team members are educated and would be able to provide assistants in an emergency.
TFMoran at NH Municipal Expo Nov 14-15, 2018
TFMoran is participating in the 77th Annual New Hampshire Municipal Conference and Expo on November 14th and 15th of 2018. The event, hosted by the New Hampshire Municipal Association, is taking place at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Manchester (formerly the Radisson Hotel). The keynote speaker is Rebecca Rule, who is a well-known author and entertainer and currently hosts “Our Hometown” on NHPTV. She has entertained many audiences with her humorous tales of life in New Hampshire. The theme of this year’s conference is “Sharing Ideas: Shaping the Future.”
The Expo gives businesses an opportunity to present their ideas and projects to a group of their colleagues. Booths are laid out in a grid system, with street names and numbers posted to help attendees find the booths that interest them. TFMoran’s booth is number 310 on Oak Street. Our booth displays some of the most recent municipal projects, such as the renovations and additions for the Newmarket Junior/High School and Elementary School, and the new Warner Fire and Rescue Station, both currently under construction. TFMoran’s engineers are on-hand to answer any questions from the many visitors stopping by to check out our municipal projects from all around the state.
The two-day conference offers many informative sessions, with topics such as Cybercrime and Fraud, Land Use Law Updates, and Effective Uses of Mediation. As always, we are happy to attend the expo and look forward to seeing familiar faces and discussing our municipal projects.
Thank you to everyone who worked to make this event possible!
Raising the Banner with Manchester Proud
TFMoran’s Dylan Cruess attended the Manchester Proud Banner Raising last Tuesday. Manchester Proud is an organization of community members from the Manchester area who want to build a better public-school system in Manchester, New Hampshire. They reach out to community members for thoughts and opinions on the current school system and changes that should be made to improve Manchester’s public schools. They plan to host more than 100 listening sessions to hear local opinions and discuss possible changes to the public-school system. On Tuesday November 13, 2018 Manchester Proud held an event to give thanks to supporters, volunteers, and community partners. The event took place at Veterans Park and was attended by many local business owners, school representatives, and the Mayor of Manchester, Joyce Craig. We wish Manchester Proud success in its future endeavors.
Welcome John DiFrancesco as Marketing Assistant Intern
TFMoran welcomes Southern New Hampshire University student, John DiFrancesco, as a Marketing Assistant Intern in the Bedford office. John is a senior at Southern New Hampshire University studying Business Administration with a concentration in Small Business Management. He has spent a semester in Florence, Italy, where he created a marketing plan for a small winery, Nistri Vignole. In addition, John is a marketing chair for the Southern New Hampshire University Gearheads, a club created for car enthusiasts. He also has experience as a photographer and looks forward to utilizing his photography skills in his new position.
TFMoran sponsors SNHU Penmen for Patriots 5k to help NH Veterans
TFMoran once again showed support for the Southern New Hampshire University “Penmen for Patriots 5k” by sponsoring the road race. This annual event, held on November 3, 2018, supported Veterans Count, a program of Easterseals which “provide resources and services to veterans, service members and their families. Easterseals Military and Veterans Services, in conjunction with Veterans Count, developed a one-of-a-kind program which has a proven track record of helping service members and their families with a wide range of family, personal and financial needs.”
The rainy weather wasn’t enough to discourage supporters from running the race which took place on the beautiful SNHU Manchester/Hooksett campus. TFMoran’s Jenn Clark, Maureen Kelly, Shaun Vando, Jeff Tate, Dylan Cruess along with his daughter Cate, all participated to show their support for a great cause.
Other supporting companies included Able Ebenezer Brewing Company, who provided a free beer to all participants over the age of 21, for a well-deserved post-5k beverage. American Flatbread Company provided pizza; Coca Cola of Northern New England provided nonalcoholic refreshments, while Stonyfield Organic brought yogurt to the event to help runners fuel up before the race. The first 400 registrants also received complimentary long sleeve shirts, as a memento. Thanks to all the local sponsors for making this a fun-filled, successful event for such a worthy program.
NH Union Leader’s Front Page Midterm Election coverage photo captures TFM’s Dylan Cruess and daughter Cate
TFMoran’s COO, Dylan Cruess’ daughter Cate, captured the eye of Thomas Roy, a Union Leader photographer, at the Governor Chris Sununu victory party on election night. The caption read “A smiling Gov. Chris Sununu shows a photo of his cat to 5-year-old Catherine Cruess of Bedford, who attended Sununu’s election night party at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Manchester with her dad, Dylan.” The photo appeared on the front page of the Wednesday, November 7, 2018 edition under the large headline “Midterms draw big crowds in NH”. The story “Sununu
captures second term” was written by Dave Solomon of the New Hampshire Union Leader.
To view the story, click this pdf link NH Union Leader Front Page Nov 7 2018
TFM takes a break for a little Halloween fun
Spider webs wrapped around the stairwell and bats flew around a black light lit ceiling. Glow sticks and candy scattered the tables while strobe lights flashed through the mirrors. Spooky creatures like spiders, ghosts and haunted pumpkins filled the TFMoran lobby, creatively decorated by receptionist Jenn Clark. Friday October 26th was the perfect day for a company Halloween party. The ghost busters theme song played through the speakers as the staff enjoyed Puritan’s famous chicken tenders along with an assortment of other delicious foods. And, thanks to Maryanne Murray for making her festive witch’s finger and spider cookies.
Games were played and laughs were had. After a week of voting “how many pieces of candy corn are in the jar”, Shaun Vando came closest guessing 795, just 9 pieces short of the actual count of 804. Dylan Cruess took the win for the first ever pumpkin toss, beating out anyone who dared challenge him. After competing against multiple coworkers, Adam Jimenez also managed to come out on top as the winner for the Pumpkin Strongman. Many employees came dressed in their best Halloween costumes hoping to win two tickets to Haunted Acres. Although all the costumes were excellent, Jeff Tate was voted number one as he sported a cow costume.
Robert Cruess receives DeStefano Barrett Legacy Award at the NH CIBOR Cares 10th Anniversary Celebration
Congratulations to TFMoran’s Chairman, Robert Cruess who received the annual DeStefano Barrett Legacy Award on October 17, 2018. The award was given by New Hampshire CIBOR Cares in collaboration with NH CIBOR at their Tenth Anniversary Celebration held at Fratello’s Italian Grille in Manchester, NH. The event highlighted the impact of New Hampshire CIBOR Cares over the past ten years through its charitable good works and giving. Andy Smith, David Choate III, and Allison Ropes were also given the award and all were awarded $1,000 to donate to a 501(c) (3) organization of their choice.
The event also raised funds for NH CIBOR Cares (501(c) (3) organization). According to their website, “NH CIBOR Cares has no overhead expenses with 100% of proceeds raised used to support local immediate need non-profit organizations and individuals throughout the state as well as non-profits supported by NH CIBOR members. Last year, CIBOR Cares provided over $30,000 to local non-profit organizations and immediate need situations throughout the state.”
Congratulations to the award recipients, and a big Thank You to NH CIBOR Cares for the great work they do for the NH community!
The Glen House featured in NHBR’s October “From the Ground Up”
One of TFMoran’s Structural Engineering projects is now complete, just in time for leaf peeping season! Located at the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road in Green’s Grant, The Glen House, a 68-room new hotel is welcoming visitors. The October issue of New Hampshire Business Review, features the project in a special section “From the Ground Up”. TFMoran is proud to be a part of the project team with Martini Northern and BMA Architectural Group. We invite you to check out the article by clicking this pdf link NHBR_From The Ground Up_Oct 26-Nov 8 2018 issue or by reading the text below. Congratulations to the new Glen House!
New Hampshire Business Review From The Ground Up
The Glen House
Martini Northern constructed a nearly airtight hotel with the functionality to withstand Mount Washington’s winds in a classic New England design to which visitors have become accustomed.
The Glen House, a newly constructed 68-room hotel at the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road, may technically be one of the newer structures in the region, but its roots run deep in the White Mountains.
The new hotel, built by construction management firm Martini Northern, of Portsmouth, is the fifth iteration of The Glen House to stand near the site of the original, which opened in 1852 to visitors flocking to the Northeast’s highest peak. The new, stately structure, which opened to the public on Sept. 12, pays homage to its predecessors by including aspects of its previous incarnations, offering a classic look in a bucolic setting.
The overall design is similar to the previous Glen House featuring clapboard siding and a front porch that evokes a traditional New England look, much like the grand hotels of New Hampshire.
While it may have the feel of a hotel that has been in place for generations, Martini Northern used an innovative approach to construct an energy efficient, sustainable, self-sufficient carbon neutral building. Thirty geothermal wells provide heating and cooling while future offsite hydro and solar will provide further energy generation.
Additionally, The Glen House has four inches of rigid and spray foam insulation on all exterior walls and eight-inch insulated hunter panels on the roof. The result is a very tight envelope for the building that sits in an area prone to excessive wind and cold.
At the heart of the three-story hotel is its expansive great room, which extends from the lobby to a welcoming sitting area featuring a towering stone fireplace. Massive windows reach up to the cathedral ceilings framing expansive views from the west-facing rooms and lobby overlooking a network of trails as well as spectacular views of the Presidential Range.
Step further inside and visitors will discover walls adorned with vintage photography that illustrates the long and storied life of the Mount Washington Auto Road, and The Glen Houses that came before — a touch that carries some of the historic DNA from its previous life. The reception desk and bar incorporate boards salvaged from an old barn on the property.
“The wall coverings and recycled timber highlight what it looked and felt like here all those years ago,” notes Martini Northern President Peter Middleton. “There are images of a car race heading up to the summit and scenes of everyday life in the North Country.”
The guest rooms feature comfortable Shaker-style designs — providing a traditional feel — and yet guests can take advantage of amenities such as a gym, several dining options, an indoor salt water pool and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout.
Planning and design for the project began in earnest in 2015. Construction began in April of last year and was completed in September. As with any project, there were challenges — not the least of which was the location. Though beautiful, the setting presented a few obstacles that needed to be overcome. First and foremost was the weather which shortened the construction season and impacted workers every day.
Building in Pinkham Notch, located well north of most population centers, the project started with a sense of urgency as it progressed through the spring and summer of 2017.
“Obviously, with the winter coming, we built our schedule to get the building up and enclosed so we could work all winter inside,” Middleton says. “Then we could start to finish the outside in the spring.”
Nearly 20 days were lost during the long winter months as conditions made getting workers and material to the site, through the snow and ice, extremely difficult. It was just one of several elements that made the project unlike any other.
“The location was definitely a challenge but the owner involvement really offset it,” says Middleton. “The owner involvement was substantial and helpful — from design through construction.”
Owned by the Mount Washington Summit Road Company and managed by Olympia Hotel Management, The Glen House sits near the base of the Auto Road — a landmark that Middleton is coincidentally quite familiar with.
“My grandfather was close friends with the father of the owner of the Auto Road,” he says of his personal history with Mount Washington. “So there’s some history there. My grandfather ran Pinkham Notch for almost 40 years. There’s a proprietary connection there.”
It’s also a return to earlier projects for the Portsmouth-based firm. Middleton has now worked on projects at the summit and the base of the 6,288-foot mountain.
“For me personally, [overseeing construction of The Glen House] was very rewarding,” Middleton says. “When I was at the University of New Hampshire, studying to be an engineer, I worked with Harvey Construction on the summit building [the Sherman Adams Building] for two summers. It’s nice to have worked at the top and at the bottom of the mountain.”
In addition to Martini Northern, the project team included BMA Architectural Group of Amherst and Bedford-based design firms Stibler Associates and TFMoran as well as HEB Engineers of North Conway and Yeaton Associates of Littleton. Martini Northern’s onsite team was led by superintendents Ray Michaud and Roger Davis, and assistant superintendent Ben Middleton.
Key subcontractor partners on the project included GB Carrier Corp., of Conway; Chestnut and Cape, Inc., of Northwood; as well as Granite State Plumbing & Heating of Weare, Ray’s Electric, of Berlin, and Superior Fire Protection Inc., of Hooksett.
All of our key partners were so critical to the project’s success and we had great participation from everybody,” Middleton says. “It was not an easy project — everybody had to drive a couple hours to get there with many of the workers staying overnight. They were all outstanding people to work with.”
Established in 1999, Martini Northern is a Construction Management/GC firm that oversees building needs throughout New England on institutional, corporate and healthcare markets.